Stuffed and Schwastedhttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com
Reviewing Wichita's Food and Drink SceneMon, 18 Nov 2013 18:08:55 +0000en
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1 http://wordpress.com/https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngStuffed and Schwastedhttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com
Homemade Fresh-Churned Butter and Buttermilk (Plus- Homemade Ranch Dressing!)https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/homemade-fresh-churned-butter-and-buttermilk-plus-homemade-ranch-dressing/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/homemade-fresh-churned-butter-and-buttermilk-plus-homemade-ranch-dressing/#commentsMon, 18 Nov 2013 13:02:37 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2610Several bucket list things came together for me on Sunday. First, I was making brisket (post to come) and wanted to have salads all week with the brisket. I REALLY wanted ranch dressing since I haven’t had it in a while. But I hate buying store-bought buttermilk since I can’t really find a good brand. And I hate buying a large amount of milk since I don’t drink milk or use it in much else.

So, instead, I bought a quart of Hildebrand cream and decided to do it right. Make my own REAL buttermilk (and butter)!

First, you can make mock buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk. I’ve done it before. It works well. And that’s what most store-bought buttermilk is, soured milk. But real buttermilk is the liquid when you make butter. You start with cream, make whipped cream, then keep whipping. After a while, the cream will “break” and you’ll be left with chunks of butter and liquid. The liquid is buttermilk.

Challenge accepted!

Yes, this is Little House on the Prairie. Except minus the threat of bears breaking through the front door. Well, at least for me. Your life is probably more exciting than mine.

OK, so how’s this work? Simple, you whip the cream until it turns into butter. No, really, that’s all there is to it. I used a pint of cream, but you could use whatever you want. I believe you’re to expect half the cream to turn to butter, and the other half to turn to buttermilk. So if you want so much buttermilk, use twice as much cream.

I also didn’t salt my butter until it was done.

Ingredients

1 quart cream

¼ tsp salt

patience

This took a lot longer than described online. The Internet lied? NEVER! So, just be patient. But also, be warned. I read that ultra-pasteurized cream will not break. I’m not sure if that’s a lie, too. Or if it’s true, why it’s true. Ultimately, I’d love to make butter with raw cream, but am not sure if I can get it anywhere in Wichita. I know I can go to Jako in Hutchinson. I just haven’t been there, yet.

It’s on my list.

So here are the steps.

First, you get foamy cream. Keep on keepin’ on.

Then, you start to see light whipped cream. Keep going, my friend.

Then you start to see good peaks forming. This stage lasted a really long time. This is good if you actually want just whipped cream. But was slightly maddening for me.

As you can see, I switched from my stand mixer to my (less expensive) hand mixer. Why? Well, my stand mixer is more expensive, and was making a strange noise after running on high for over 15 minutes. So, I switched to the hand mixer while reading online about my cream that wouldn’t break. At that point, the cream broke! (Apparently watched cream and watched pots went to the same school of, “Just try to watch us.”)

You can see bits of butter, and at first what looks like water. The “water” is splattering and foaming at the same time. OK, the liquid is spraying all over and it’s a mess.

This is where I stopped and decided to strain off the buttermilk that had been released so far.

I just strained through the strainer I use when making bone broth. Worked perfectly. Dumped the butter bits back in the container and kept running the hand mixer. Release butter milk, strain off. Continue until I wasn’t getting any more liquid.

At this point, you want to “clean” the butter, which means pulling the remaining buttermilk off. According to the Internet, this increases the “fridge life” of the butter from 1-2 days to 1-2 weeks. Yes, please.

All I did was add really cold water (out of the tap) to the butter. I read to add water and ice and do this by hand. But I just added really cold water and used my hand mixer. Add water, mix, drain off water. You will have cloudy water at first. Keep adding, mixing and draining until your water is clear.

Success! I wish I’d weighed my butter and measured the buttermilk. I used a whole quart (4 cups) of milk. And I came away with 1 ½ large coffee cups (which I think is close to 3 cups, but I might be wrong) of buttermilk. And a heaping bowl (probably 1 ½-2 cups) of butter. That math doesn’t really add up. Your buttermilk output will depend on how much you get off of the butter before cleaning it. And your butter can grow in size because you’re whipping it.

From what I hear, I can freeze this butter. Even if it lasts 1-2 weeks, it won’t be enough for me to use it unless I start making baked goods (which isn’t out of the question). I’ll probably freeze it in smaller (4Tbsp) portions. And I’ll probably make buttermilk and butter again. It was kind of fun, very rewarding, and resulted in some pretty delicious products.

While I’ve earmarked 1/2 cup of the product for ranch dressing (see below!), I’m also working on what else to make with the buttermilk. First thing that comes to mind is buttermilk pancakes. But we’ll see what else I come up with.

I mentioned ranch dressing. Yes, I made homemade ranch. And while I did use store-bought mayo (homemade mayo only lasts a few days and I wanted salads for the week), my goal was to avoid that pre-made Hidden Valley Ranch packet. No offense Hidden Valley. Well, OK, maybe offense. I don’t want all the other “crap” in the packet when it sounds like you can replicate it pretty easily on your own.

I used this recipe almost exactly, except I used dried spices and added a bit of lemon juice.

Homemade Ranch

Ingredients:

3/4 c mayo

1/2 c buttermilk

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried chives

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp lemon juice

Directions: Whisk together. Store in a glass container. Enjoy!

Completed product. Delicious!

The salad the dressing was made for. I used organic green lettuce (the leaves not the head), organic green onions, a pico made of tomatoes, red onion, avocado and lime juice, black olives, chopped organic carrots, and fresh grated cheese. Perfection!

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/homemade-fresh-churned-butter-and-buttermilk-plus-homemade-ranch-dressing/feed/1kellylellenz1453527_10153496950900037_286747132_nIMG_20131117_114245_700IMG_20131117_115020_027IMG_20131117_115118_996IMG_20131117_122244_821IMG_20131117_122413_106IMG_20131117_122504_574IMG_20131117_123431_1051453527_10153496950900037_286747132_nIMG_20131117_164655_197IMG_20131117_181554_813Oven Roasted Cut-Up Brined Chickenhttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/oven-roasted-cut-up-brined-chicken/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/oven-roasted-cut-up-brined-chicken/#commentsWed, 23 Oct 2013 15:37:41 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2597Ever since I brined my first pork chop, I’ve been a brine believer. I don’t know why I never thought to bring meat before, but for some reason I always thought brining was for turkeys on Thanksgiving. And even then, I figured people were just trying to be all, “Look at me, brining a turkey!” I didn’t realize what a difference it makes.

On my journey to eat healthier, not only am I trying to find good sources of meat, but I’m trying to learn to eat AND ENJOY all parts of the animal. As a child, I wasn’t much of a fan of meat (or vegetables, or really anything but cheese and pop). While trying to lose the weight I gained in college, I learned to like vegetables. It was a slow, focused, meticulous process of eating a tiny bit of a vegetable with something I DID like. Or covering it in a sauce, or baking into a casserole or hiding in soup. I know, an adult eating like a child. But it worked. And I’m convinced you can learn to like anything – either by adapting to the taste, or finding better ways to cook stuff.

I have a confession: I eat chicken skin (it’s like bacon from chickens). And I love dark meat!

For example, there’s an art to the perfect broccoli. And for me, it involves the Goldilocks method of not too cooked, but avoiding not cooked enough. Along with some salt, pepper, garlic and as a treat, parmesan cheese. Spinach used to gross me out until I realized I could “hide” a generous portion in most soups and casseroles without even tasting it if I chopped it up. It was the big pieces of spinach and their kind of stringy, slimy texture that turned me off. But I didn’t mind the flavor. I had a similar experience with peppers. I actually liked them raw! But if they got too over-cooked and were in big pieces, the flavor seemed bitter and the texture slimy. Slimy’s a problem for me, apparently. For example, I learned I liked tomatoes as long as I didn’t eat the slimy seeds.

Now that I can’t eat peppers (new allergy), and as an off-shoot am trying to eat less tomatoes, it’s funny to look back at the former me. The me who would eat cheese sandwiches – American cheese on bread and maybe one piece of lettuce – nothing else, and laugh. I can’t imagine a sandwich now without a pile of meat or tomatoes and tons of other veggies if they’re available. And beyond that, I feel like the bread, once a staple in my life, was just a filler. I’d rather have that meat, cooked well (not processed into lunch meat) on a plate next to veggies. Do I still love bread? Yes, but I’d rather have one delicious piece made into crunchy garlic bread that eat mediocre store bread every single day.

Am I a snob? Maybe. But I think as I’ve learned to force myself to experiment, I’ve branched out beyond my former favorite foods (which I still love) and have a wider variety of vitamins and minerals, and a bigger list of choices when it comes to dinnertime. It’s rare I eat the same thing two weeks in a row.

Oven roasted chicken is also kind of new on my list of foods I enjoy. I used to be freaked out by thawed raw chicken. I know lots of people with this fear. But one random day I decided I wanted to roast a whole chicken. A friend of mine suggested trying beer butt chicken and while my fear of salmonella didn’t go away in one or two rounds of chicken making, I am now longer scared of chicken juices. In fact, sometimes I worry I’m TOO casual with it. But that’s a story for another day.
But sometimes I get bored with the same oven roasted chicken. Still delicious? Yes, but I like a little challenge and variety. So when I got a whole cut up chicken from Phil’s Farm at the farmer’s market this weekend (more on Phil’s farm – I am going to get some other products from them and do a separate write-up), I decided to go ahead and cook the whole thing, and see how it compared to cooking a whole un-cut up chicken. You’d probably think it would net similar results, but surprisingly it didn’t!

First, it cooked faster. Normally a whole chicken takes 1 ½-2 hours in the oven, even with the beer can in it, depending on size. This cooked in 45-50 minutes.

Second, I generally have to tent my whole chickens so the skin doesn’t burn. But this required no maintenance while it cooked. In fact, I went off in the other room and forgot about the chicken until the timer went off.

And finally, when this chicken was done, I had all of the cut up parts of chicken to eat, rather than a whole bowl of shredded chicken. Don’t get me wrong, shredded chicken has its place. It’s delicious on salads, in tacos, in an avocado-based chicken salad, or just plain old shredded chicken on a plate with sides. It’s versatile. But by the end of the week, I’m kind of chickened out. In this case, I have two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, two wings. And I’m excited to eat all of it. I’ll probably eat it in fairly boring ways (or even make tacos or the chicken salad with one of the breasts), but it feels less mundane. And if you have a picky family, it’s easy to sort out dark meat and white meat cuts. Everybody wins!

It’s definitely a keeper.

The only downside to roasting this way are the juices that come off. I cooked mine on a bed of onions and potatoes. But the veggies didn’t really roast up since they were cooking in juices. This isn’t a terrible thing, but I think you really need a raised roasting pan or have to like non-crispy veggies.

In my case, I sorted out the potato (yes, I only had one potato) and the onions. I left the onions in the juices and used my immersion blender to make a sort of gravy. The potatoes were similar to the potatoes when you make a roast. Next time I’ll use more potatoes, and use them and some of the ‘gravy’ and make mashed potatoes. I also like mashed cauliflower, so I’d also throw some cauliflower in there for a potatoes/cauliflower mash.

Mix the water and salt until the salt dissolves. Then add in your ‘seasonings.’ A brine takes the place of a marinade, so if you want extra flavor, add it to the brine. I used everything listed above. None of them had an over-powering flavor in the finished product.

I let the chicken sit in the brine on my counter for 1 hour. I’ve read to do 30 minutes to an hour. But even fifteen minutes makes a difference.

Recipe:

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, brined (see above)

Vegetables to make a bed

Butter

Dry rub seasoning (I used a pre-mixed seasoning I got from a BBQ store in KC plus some black pepper)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

After the chicken is brined, put your cut up veggies in the bottom of your pan and season. For my veggies I used one large onion, one small potato (both chopped into medium pieces), and two cloves of garlic, chopped pretty finely. I would suggest using whatever you have on hand or like. Next time I’ll do more potatoes, cauliflower, onions, garlic and maybe some leeks and mushrooms. The sky’s the limit. Just remember the veggies WON’T crisp up since they’ll be cooking in the chicken juices.

Lay the pieces of chicken on top of the veggies. (I didn’t rinse or dry my chicken – some suggest doing so, others say it’s a waste of time.). Rub with butter, then season.

Place in oven for about 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees. Remove from oven and cover with foil for at least 15 minutes. (I let mine sit 30-35 minutes while I went for a walk).

“Gravy”
If you want to make a very simple sauce, you can blend some of your veggies in the juices at the bottom of the pan. I pulled my potatoes out, and made my sauce with onions and garlic. Simply blend with an immersion blender. This will give the juices a bit more of a texture. You could also make a “real” gravy by thickening with flour or cornstarch or other thickening agents.
That’s it! It’s very simple. You can definitely NOT make any type of gravy if gravy isn’t your thing. And instead just pull the veggies out with a slotted spoon and place on the plate with whatever piece(s) of chicken you’d like.

Enjoy! I know you will!

Chicken in the brine. The brine is super-easy to make. It can be as simple as just salt water. Or you can add “aromatics” or other things for flavor.

Here are my admittedly pretty pathetic vegetables. I haven’t been to the store this week. But it worked as a bed to keep the chicken pieces from sitting in their own juices.

And here’s the product right before it goes in the oven. It’s been a long week (already), so I forgot to rub the chicken with butter. So instead, I just laid pats of butter on top.

The finished product. YUM!

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https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/oven-roasted-cut-up-brined-chicken/feed/1kellylellenzIMG_1382539150262_1IMG_20131022_194650_892IMG_20131022_194655_950IMG_20131022_195008_634IMG_1382539150262_1Salted Coconut Caramels (Dairy-Free)https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/salted-coconut-caramels-dairy-free/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/salted-coconut-caramels-dairy-free/#commentsWed, 04 Sep 2013 20:18:21 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2589I love caramel. No, really. Love it. It’s one of the few things in my life I’d commit to because I know my love is everlasting. I have found reason to cut back (way back to nothing) on dairy recently. It saddens me. Mostly because of cheese (my other love). But also because of caramel.

The truth, though, is it’s good that I have to avoid caramel made with dairy. Why, you ask? Because how often do you get plain old, delicious, perfect caramel? Maybe at Christmas time. Usually, though, I’m stuck eating caramel with something. Like with chocolate coating. Or with some type of nuts. The real craving is for caramel. Just caramel. And not those blocks of Kraft caramels. You know, the plastic-wrapped ones that are good, but also kind of hard and not quite creamy enough. Those are good candies for grandpas to carry in the front pocked of their overalls, but they’re not good for adults who know what real love is.

A week or so ago, Tropical Traditions had coconut cream concentrate on sale. Coconut cream concentrate, also called coconut butter, is essentially ground up coconut. Similar to how peanut butter or almond butter is just ground up peanuts or almonds. Can you make this stuff yourself? Sure. But it was on sale, and Tropical Traditions is a very reputable company. I bought a gallon of their Gold Label virgin coconut oil this last winter from them, and it’s already almost gone. I’m a single girl. I’m not ashamed of my intake of medium chain fatty acids!

Anyway, this isn’t an advertisement for Tropical Traditions. Although, if you’re wondering, yes, you should buy from them. This is for what the coconut cream concentrate inspired me to do: make my very first caramels!

Sweet mother of deliciousness. Is this what it’s like to have faith that there’s good in the world?

For the record, I’ve been meaning to make caramels for quite a while. Every Christmas my mom’s friend makes them, and I love them. They’re one of my favorite Christmas foods. And honestly, the recipes seem pretty simple. I make several batches of cinnamon candy for friends and co-workers. Working a candy thermometer sounds more intimidating than it is. So it was just a matter of choosing a recipe and jumping in.

I used several recipes, including this, as a starting point. I noticed most recipes had cream, butter and some type of sweetener. I used my can of coconut cream as a replacement for heavy cream, coconut cream concentrate as a replacement for butter, and honey and maple syrup for the sweetener. I felt like maple syrup might be a better match for caramels, but also love the flavor of honey. So I decided to get the best of both worlds and mix and match.

For my inaugural run, I made simple caramel. Simple, delicious, melty, salted caramel. I’m already dreaming of next time when I might add some toasted chopped pecans. Maybe a drizzle of dark chocolate. Eh. Maybe not, too. Just know you can use this recipe as a base and adjust to your tastes.

1 teaspoon vanilla (I have actual vanilla, not just extract – if you’re using extract, I’d suggest using half this amount)

½ teaspoon sea salt (plus more for sprinkling)

I poured the can of coconut cream in a small, heavy pan. And then filled the can with honey and maple syrup. Rather than fill each halfway full, I simply added both, roughly half and half. When the can was full, I dumped. Then I filled the can a third time, this time again roughly half full, with coconut cream concentrate. I added ½ teaspoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

I brought everything to a boil at about medium-high head and reduced the heat to medium. I didn’t whisk constantly, but stirred fairly regularly.

When I make candy, I feel like the temp rises quickly at first, then slows to a crawl that last bit. When the temp reached around 250 degrees, it started to pull away from the sides and I had a hard time stirring the spot on the side where my thermometer was. I ended up pulling it out and stirring until I decided to pour onto a pan greased with coconut oil. (To grease the pan I poured some coconut oil on a pan and spread it out with a paper towel. This is how we do greasing in my 1950s kitchen! Spraying food release is so 1990s.)

I spread the caramels with a metal spoon and let sit for about 15 minutes. Right moving to the fridge (so they’d setup faster), I sprinkled some sea salt over top.

When they’d cooled and setup, I cut them into pieces with a spatula. And put them on pieces of plastic wrap. I formed them into roughly shaped squares/balls/rectangles and wrapped. I ended up with about 25 decent sized caramels.

A few notes:

I ended up with 25 caramels.

If you’re wondering why I have such weird measurements, I used my 5.4 oz can of coconut cream as a base for measurement. It was actually really simple to do that way using equal parts coconut cream and honey or maple syrup with half the amount of coconut cream concentrate/coconut butter. I have real vanilla, so I added a full teaspoon. If you’re using extract you might want to use a smaller amount. And I might have added more salt than some people prefer, but I like salted caramel.

Feel free to make a caramel size of your choice, or you don’t even have to wrap at all. I wrapped mine and stored them in the fridge because my house gets fairly warm during the day.

Here’s a handy chart for the different temperatures associated with each stage of candy. In this case, the recipe was aiming for hard ball stage (260 degrees). It’s possible I was still in firm ball stage (closer to 250 degrees) since I didn’t use my thermometer that last bit. You can see descriptions of what types of candy are generally made at what stage. And I noticed caramels are generally a firm ball candy. So maybe not cooking up to 260 degrees was a good idea. I’m unsure. The cinnamon candy I make cooks to hard crack, but it’s easier (and not as imperative) to stir. If you don’t cook that one to hard crack, it will be chewy and not like a hard candy. In this case, with these caramels, I think you have a bit more wiggle room. So cook to your desired temperature.

Here’s the caramel – You can see I roughly spread it with the back of a metal spoon, onto a greased metal pan.

And the finished product. They won’t win any awards for style. But the flavor is decadent.

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/salted-coconut-caramels-dairy-free/feed/2kellylellenz1006048_10153207571420037_642743728_n1269523_10153207701905037_305008328_o1236913_10153207825115037_1613802156_nThree Meat Italian Souphttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/three-meat-italian-soup/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/three-meat-italian-soup/#respondMon, 29 Jul 2013 15:51:14 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2578I made it back from vacation in sunny, humid South Carolina (Charleston and Folly Beach). I can’t believe how much we did in only four days. But it was a fun trip! I even picked up some local raw, organic honey. And the cutest honey pot. Win!

So, I come home to the best summer weather in the world – cool and rainy. I’m not much of a summer gal (yes, I just got back from a beach vacation, but that doesn’t mean it’s my preferred weather). And after a week of seafood (my own attempts at bacon-wrapped, crab-stuffed shrimp will be forth-coming), I was ready for some fall food – SOUP! I had hamburger and a few Italian sausage links in the freezer, so I set them out to thaw. Then started searching for soup recipes with Italian sausage and hamburger, and kept coming up with minestrone soup recipes, which I don’t love. But after looking at them, realized I could probably make something I DO like by taking out the things I don’t (beans, tomato based broth, and I don’t care for zucchini in soup, no matter how little I cook it, I don’t like the consistency), and amping up the things I do (MEAT!, broth, onions and garlic).

Mmmmm… Soup!

This is the recipe I ended up with, and it was delicious! Be warned, you may not need much salt if any at all. So add salt at the very end, and add it slowly. You’ll notice my soup has some spiral pasta in it. I added that as an afterthought, and honestly wish I’d left it without. If you want to add pasta, I added about a cup. I added it at after all the veggies were cooked, but before the spinach.

Technically there are four kinds of meat since I used bulk Italian sausage and Italian sausage links. But both are Italian sausage, so I decided to combine the two. I only used two links, but you could definitely use more. I didn’t use hot only because I’m avoiding peppers and any pepper spices. But my preference would have been to use mild bulk sausage and 2-3 links of hot Italian sausage. My sister said my soup was kind of spicy. But I think that came from fresh-ground pepper (I buy peppercorns and grind them in a spice grinder) and lots of fresh/local-grown garlic. My parents grow garlic, and the stuff makes my eyes water when I crush/dice it.

Here we are where I add the beef broth in. I only wanted to show it to show I used frozen broth. I freeze it in approximately 2 cup portions, so I also laid the broth out to thaw as I started cutting veggies and when I was ready for it, cut the plastic freezer bag off. Simple! Then I stir the meat over it to make it melt faster. Or you can be patient.

Last step: adding the chopped spinach. I got baby spinach and still chopped the leaves into probably quarters or sixths.

And the finished product with some Parmesan cheese. I also chopped up some Italian parsley, but thought it tasted bitter. I suppose I could have added it to the warm soup, but ended up not using it at all beyond that, so I left it out of the recipe.

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/three-meat-italian-soup/feed/0kellylellenzIMG_20130728_195146_062_1afterfocus_1375037387030_1IMG_20130728_184830_612IMG_20130728_190718_792IMG_20130728_195016_678IMG_20130728_195502_214Crockpot Whiskey Pot Roasthttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/crockpot-whiskey-pot-roast/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/crockpot-whiskey-pot-roast/#respondMon, 22 Jul 2013 18:26:31 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2571I’m a master procrastinator. All weekend I knew I was going to make a roast for lunches this week. And all weekend I procrastinated taking it out of my freezer. I have so much stuff in my freezer, it’s hard to find what I want. The funny thing is when I finally went down to the freezer, at 10PM on Sunday, the roasts were right there on the top. However, it wasn’t a bad thing. I got to read up on how to cook frozen roasts (which led me to my recipe – which DOESN’T contain onion soup mix!), and how to defrost quickly when your roast doesn’t fit into your crockpot when it’s frozen solid. So, everyone gets to share in the joy!

Here come the meat sweats!

So, where do we start? I like to start at the beginning.

First, here’s the recipe that inspired my recipe. The only problem is this recipe had a lot of maintenance. And I wanted to sleep (or go to work) while my roast cooked. So, I combined the steps, and eliminated a lot of stuff. I was very happy with the results.

Second, what are the recommended ways to defrost a roast?

Put it in the fridge for a day, like a responsible. But how many of us are responsible adults? I’d say I remember to (or don’t knowingly procrastinate) defrost meat about 50% of the time. So what do you do the other 50%?

You can soak the roast (sealed in a zip lock) in cool water. I have a hard time getting frozen meat in a Ziploc to stay under water, so sometimes I let cool water run over the meat. Total waste of water, but it gets the job done in a pinch. Flip the meat every 15 or so minutes.

You can soak the meat in warm water (or do the same technique where the water’s running over it. Replace the water as it cools. Flip the meat more often, maybe every five minutes. Don’t use hot water, it’ll start cooking the meat.

Defrost in the microwave. I have a defrost button, but if you don’t, do 30-40% power, flipping every 3-5 minutes, being careful not to cook.

I used the fourth, and least recommended, option. I told the microwave the beef was three pounds, and it told me it would take 27 minutes. I just wanted to thaw it enough that it would slide into the crockpot. So I ended up thawing for about 12 minutes, and flipped about four times. At that point, the edges were thawed enough to give me flexibility to fit in the crockpot sideways. After I cooked everything on high for two hours, I was able to lay the roast flat, under the liquid (with the vegetables on top).

OK, about my seasonings. First, I’ve made roast before where you stick the roast with veggies in the crockpot. With or without liquid (some people say about an inch of water, others say no liquid because the meat produces some). I had some homemade broth (recipe soon, I promise!), so I wanted to use that. And after the success of my St. Louis BBQ steaks (sorry I keep dropping reference to them!), I realized low and slow under liquid is the way to go. One time I didn’t submerge the steaks, and the ones that weren’t submerged were dry and tough. No thanks.

And I felt like stuff like alcohol or vinegar help break down the meat some so it’s extra fantastic. So that was my motivation with this one: Find a recipe that uses alcohol, and submerge the roast.

I also didn’t want to use onion soup mix because it has weird ingredients in it. I didn’t really want to mess with substitution onion soup mix ingredients. So instead, I went away from it totally. I liked that this recipe used Worcestershire sauce, and added some apple cider vinegar for good measure. I also knew I wanted to avoid peppers of any kind (food intolerance, not flavor issue), but wanted to add turmeric (one of my favorite meat spices) and cumin (for smoky flavor).

Directions: Put the roast in the bottom of the crockpot. Add vegetables and spices. Pour broth/stock* and whiskey/bourbon over.

Here’s the meat in the crockpot sideways. There just wasn’t enough wiggle room while the roast was mostly frozen to lay it flat on the bottom. I cooked it this way for 2 hours on high, then moved the veggies to one side, and laid the roast flat on the bottom. The roast was completely submerged in the broth/whiskey/apple cider vinegar liquid. The vegetables were on top of the roast.

Cook for 6-9 hours on low**. The roast should be falling apart when you take it out (but feel free to check for done-ness with a meat thermometer, if you’d like).

I remove the meat from the crockpot with tongs and remove the fat. Not because fat is bad on grass-fed beef, but because I don’t prefer the texture. I’m not a stickler on removing all of it, and if you like it, feel free to leave it. When you have conventional beef, the omega 6s are really high in the fat, so if you are using conventional beef, you might want to consider removing the fat regardless.

I only serve the meat, potatoes and carrots. I toss the celery, which I was only using for flavor.

Pro tip: When you put everything in your slow cooker, think about how many servings it will make, and adjust the veggies you put in accordingly. I wanted to get four servings out of my roast, so I made six red potatoes (1 1/2 potatoes per serving). And I put in eight baby carrots, because that’s all I had. Normally I’d put in more.

You can make a quick gravy with the broth and some type of thickener (like corn starch or flour). Make a paste out of some of the broth and corn starch. If the broth isn’t already boiling, bring to a boil, and slowly add the corn starch paste. Whisk until thickened.

A few notes:

*I read if you put a frozen roast in a crockpot, you should warm the water or broth and pour it over the roast. So I did warm my broth in the microwave until it was boiling and poured over. I’m not sure what difference this makes, other than maybe to speed the thawing process.

**If your roast is frozen, you’ll probably be on the higher end of the cooking time. If it’s thawed, I think six hours is likely good, depending on the size and thickness of the roast. I ended up cooking my roast on high for two hours because it was so frozen and I couldn’t get it to lay flat in the bottom of my crockpot, and I wanted it submerged under the liquid. I ended up cooking for about 7 ½ hours total (2 on high, 5 ½ on low). You could cook on high for a few hours if you’ll be around and want it to cook faster, but I think at least part of the cooking process low and slow is important for a roast.

22-OCT-2013 – Author’s note: I made this recipe again, this time with a roast labeled “pot roast.” Again, I put it in frozen. And again, it came out delicious. But this time I had a crisis of faith. After almost 7 hours (last time it cooked for about 7 1/2, and this roast seemed smaller), the temp was over 190 degrees and the roast was tough. Really tough. Miserably tough. I decided I was committed and wouldn’t eat the roast this way anyway, so I left it in, on low for another five hours. Yes, five hours. It came out delicious. I’ve read that you have to cook long enough for the connective tissue to break down. Apparently this roast came from a very stubborn cow. ;) Anyway, if your roast doesn’t fall apart when you take it out, commit to the cause, and put it back in. Let it cook long enough to be what a roast is meant to be: fall apart, juicy and delicious. Otherwise, what’s the point? I’m NOT one of those people who will eat bland food just because it’s food. I enjoy cooking. And enjoy eating more. Here’s to the roasts of winter future!

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/crockpot-whiskey-pot-roast/feed/0kellylellenzafterfocus_1374515347175_1IMG_20130721_224034_428afterfocus_1374515142329_1Homemade Broth – Everything You Ever Wanted To Know!https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/homemade-broth-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-to-be-an-expert/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/homemade-broth-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-to-be-an-expert/#commentsMon, 22 Jul 2013 17:31:43 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2555Fair warning: This is a long post. But I’ve helped several friends journey into the abyss that is broth, and sooner or later, these are the questions they ask. I don’t like to simply say, “This is what you do, because I said so.” And like all recipes, everything can be customized to YOUR preferences. So this is a guideline. A starting point. I think everyone should make their own broth. Both for the nutrition benefits and the cost savings. Well, and the delicious flavor. I can’t imagine using store-bought broth in anything ever again!

What’s the difference between broth and stock? Broth has meat, stock doesn’t. I’ve made it both ways, and prefer the flavor meat gives, so I generally make broth. But feel free to make this recipe your own! I’m a huge believer in the nutrient benefits a person gets from cooking bones. When I make broth, I generally use mostly bones with just a little bit of meat thrown in. Maybe I’ll leave some meat on my chicken bones. Or maybe I’ll throw in a beef short rib. Or maybe I’ll use a soup bone. Sometimes I’ll even throw in some organ meats (kidney is my choice) for additional nutrient benefits.

My point is, when I make broth, I’m using 95% bones, 5% meat. And I use vegetables and spices for flavoring.

The goal is to have a broth that’s nutrient dense, after pulling all the fantastic stuff from the bones. So what do these bones have to offer?

Gelatin and collagen – Gelatin helps soothe and heal your gut. If you have any stomach issues, the gelatin in broth will help. Gelatin and collagen also help with hair growth, skin elasticity and strong nails.

Glycine and proline – Amino acids that are anti-inflammatory. And in today’s world, we need as much anti-inflammatory as possible.

And it’s said to help with the immune system before and during sickness. When I’m sick, there’s nothing that tastes better than some broth. Similar to chicken soup when you’re sick, but so convenient to thaw some frozen broth and drink it, especially when it’s cool outside.

So, what’s my recipe? Well, first, you need to realize to get the nutrients out of the bones, you need to cook them for a long time. I’ve made this recipe in my crockpot, cooking for nearly a day. Then I read that I could get the same benefits using my pressure cooker in a few hours (making a few batches). I’ve personally switched to the pressure cooker, but feel free to implement using a crockpot (on low – you’ll want to occasionally remove the lid to keep it below boiling) or stovetop (just below a simmer) for a day or so.

The fancy thing to call this broth is “bone broth.” But I get a little annoyed with the pretentious paleo community (no offense, friends, I don’t think YOU’RE annoying, just as a stereotypical whole), so I’ve resorted to calling it just broth. Or even more commonly “broth or stock.” Theoretically you could call it beef or chicken broth, but often times I mix beef and chicken. And “meat broth” sounds weird. My point is, get sassy. Make it your own!

Any type of meat (I use one short rib per batch, for example, if I don’t have chicken meat left on the bones)

*Important note: I make two batches in a 6 quart pressure cooker, which can be filled 2/3 full, which means four quarts. If you’re only doing one long batch with your crockpot or stock pot, depending on the size of the pot, you might want to adjust the amount of vegetables, and especially the salt. Make sure everything fits and the lid closes and everything’s covered with water. Broth really is an art. I started making broth about nine months ago. I made it every single week for a long time, and feel like I’ve just perfected what I prefer.

Remember: It’s easier to add salt after the stock is made than to make it less salty. And everyone has vegetable preferences. I’ve added things like fresh spices and didn’t care for them. I LOVE the flavor of celery, onions and garlic, but don’t care as much for carrots. So this mix of vegetables is my preference.

I always roast my beef bones before I put them in the broth. I’ve read the flavor’s better (I have done without, and honestly haven’t noticed a difference), and it kills surface bacteria (I am unsure how killing the bacteria in the oven is different than in boiling water). Anyway, I have always done it this way. I generally roast the bones (at 350-400 degrees) while I prepare my veggies). Watch the bones, some start to burn faster than others. You can flip the bones, or you can cook until they start to brown. You don’t need to put any fat or anything on them. Just stick the plain old bones in the oven. If I’m using any type of meat, I’ll also brown the meat. However, if I’m using chicken bones from a chicken I just cooked, I won’t bother re-browning these bones.

I put the bones at the bottom of my pressure cooker/crockpot. Then put the vegetables on top. Then sprinkle on the spices. Since I’m making two batches, I will put all of the bones and half of the vegetables and spices in.

The apple cider vinegar (ACV) is important because it helps leech the good stuff out of the bones. So don’t forget it! I promise you won’t taste it. I usually put about ½ – 1 Tbs per batch. But if you’re worried, start with a teaspoon and work your way up. You’re supposed to let your bones soak in the ACV for awhile before starting the boil. I will generally get everything added and do stuff like clean up my cutting board and bone roasting pan while the ACV sits for a few minutes. I’ve heard of people who clean their chickens and throw them in their pot with ACV while they eat dinner. If you’re in a rush, you’re more likely to skip this step. But if you’re not, I recommend it for maximum nutrient output. (I normally only do the pre-soak with ACV on my first batch. I don’t worry on my second since the bones have already started to break down.)

I always use clean drinking water to make my broth. But that’s mostly because I don’t prefer the flavor of my tap water. If you’re boiling something, it’s going to be pretty clean anyway. So use whatever water you’d like. I fill my pressure cooker to the max fill line, or the crockpot or stock pot nearly to the top. Since the crockpot/stock pot is going to be simmering all day, you’ll want to leave some room so it doesn’t simmer over and make a mess.

OK, here’s where there’s a slight difference. I used to do this step whether I was using a crockpot or a pressure cooker. But recently I’ve cut this step out if I’m pressed for time and am using a pressure cooker. Bring your bones to a boil. Before they start to boil, this white stuff will come to the top. Skim this off. This is supposed to remove the impurities and make for a clearer looking broth. When I made pho, I wanted a clear broth, so this step was worth it. And I ALWAYS skim the scum off when I use conventional bones. Now that I’m using higher quality bones, I don’t worry so much with a pressure cooker.

If you want to see it, this is what the scum looks like. You simply lift it off with a spoon. Since the water’s hot, I usually use a long-handled spoon. I prefer the flatter ones, like something you dish out casseroles with. But whatever you prefer to skim it off, use it. You have to work fairly quickly with this step. There’s not a lot of time between when the scum starts forming and the water boils.

I use a stovetop pressure cooker. After I started making broth and helping friends make it, I realized others use an electric pressure cooker. These instructions SHOULD work for an electric pressure cooker, but your results might vary.

I put the pressure cooker on high until it builds up pressure and starts to steam. Then I turn the temperature down to about medium, which is as low as I can normally keep it and keep the steam coming out. I cook at medium for about 40-50 minutes. Then remove from heat and let the pressure release naturally (which is generally another 15 minutes).

I have a two-step straining process. First I strain into a large strainer to catch all of the bones and vegetables. I like to put the first strain in a glass dish with a spout to make the second strain easier. I discard the vegetables – they can get mushy and bitter on the second round, and put the bones back in the pot. Then I run the broth through a much finer strainer to catch some of the grittiness. I let this sit on the counter while I start my second batch.

First step in straining. I use a big strainer, and you’ll notice I’m straining into a container with a spout. This makes step two easier.

The second step of straining. Pour through a fine strainer.

To the bones already in the pot, add the remaining vegetables and spice. And don’t forget the vinegar. Then fill with water. And cook the same way, on high until the pressure builds. Lower temperature to medium and cook for 40-50 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Strain twice.

Don’t put your bones down the garbage disposal. I don’t have pets, but I’ve read that these boiled bones, because they’re fairly soft, aren’t good to give to pets. On the other hand, I’ve heard people say their dogs love them. I’d suggest research before doing anything that might harm your pet.

The fat will rise to the top and form what some call a protective crust. So I usually put my warm broth in the fridge (in a glass bowl) with nothing covering it. Once I’ve broken the fat, I will cover it with plastic wrap. Now, here’s the fun part! If you’ve used enough bones and haven’t over-cooked them, your broth will gel. Gel like Jello! I swear it’s broth magic. I don’t know why I’m so tickled. I think because getting a gel really is an art.

You’ll notice the layer of fat I’ve peeled off to show what it looks like. If you add turmeric to your broth, this will be a bright yellow. This is a batch I made before I discovered the magic of turmeric.

And it’s really hard to show what gelled broth looks like. This is some broth that gelled without any added powder gelatin. So you can see it’s possible to get a good gel (and a good amount of broth) without that extra investment.

If your broth doesn’t gel, don’t be upset. Some bones put off more gelatin than others. The gelatin is good for you, so if you can’t get the broth to gel, you can always buy powdered gelatin (get the kosher/beef gelatin) and add to it. Or next time add more bones. Certain bones create better gels than others. Here’s what I’ve found I really like:

Beef shin bones

Beef feet (which are the bottoms of the legs, not the hooves)

Chicken feet

Oxtail

I ordered my beef bones from the farm where I got my 1/8th of a cow. I had them cut the bones into about 2” pieces. There are some smaller/thinner pieces, and there are some flat big pieces. I usually throw in a variety of bone sizes. Yes, I really do use chicken feet. It’s not as creepy as it sounds. They create a nice gel. If I haven’t cooked a chicken and don’t have a whole chicken carcass, I will sometimes throw in 5-6 chicken feet in each batch of broth (with the beef bones). Although I’ve never bought them separately, I’ve heard chicken backs and necks are cheap and good to use. I have only used ham bones occasionally, but once I get my half pig later this summer, I intend to also use pig bones.

Another note on bones: Many butcher shops won’t know what you’re asking for if you ask for beef bones. If you’re buying a part of a cow, you’ll have to specify you want more than soup or marrow bones (the most commonly used bones). Most butcher shops also have oxtail packaged in their freezer section. But they’ll likely be happy to get rid of them. So specify you want “all of the bones, like shin bones, feet (not hooves), etc.” The butcher will generally cut them, so I ask them to cut them to 1-2” thickness. And they will usually package them in bags. I’ve seen bones priced anywhere from $1/pound to $5/pound.

Before I found my great suppliers of grass-fed beef, I got a lot of my bones from an Asian market where they butchered their own meat. Asian cultures are known for using the entire animal, so they will have freezers and refrigerators filled with things you may not be accustomed to seeing. Often times they’d have bags of bones in the freezer section. And one market even had bones sitting out that you could bag yourself (in these cases, I ALWAYS roasted my bones and was careful to skim the scum off before the first boil). They were cut to great broth size. That’s where I usually bought beef feet, chicken feet and oxtail. And I would commonly pick up bags of bones (either pre-packaged or choose your own). I’d usually get them home and re-package them into broth batch sizes. For example, I’d put 6-10 chicken feet in a bag. Then I could pull out that bag and dump. Or I’d put a couple of beef feet together and wrap them in plastic wrap then put several in a freezer bag. The more organized you are, the easier it is.

Now that I have tons of grass-fed beef bones, I just pick and choose from different bags. I will usually put one large, flat bone in the bottom of my pot, followed by 3-5 smaller beef bones. And if I have bones of a whole chicken I roasted, I’ll toss those in, too. I have asked Blessed Nation Farm about getting chicken feet when they butcher their batches of chicken, so hopefully soon I’ll have lots of good quality chicken feet!

Alright, enough about bones!

How do I store my broth? I normally keep it in my fridge for about a week. At that point, I notice the gel starts to undo itself and get watery. I’ve heard lots of people will re-boil their broth and stick it back in the fridge. But I generally portion into 2 cup portions in quart freezer bags. I push out as much air as possible, then store several quart bags in a gallon freezer bag. I’ve found 2 cups is perfect for adding to a dish that wants a cup or two of broth, or for a cup of broth when I’m not feeling well or am cold. I will also occasionally put a larger amount in a gallon freezer bag, and double-bag with another freezer bag. I double-bag to avoid freezer burn (plus, keeping the quart bags of broth together is convenient).

Some people aren’t fans of storing in freezer bags, but I generally try to avoid warming the bags in the microwave. I’ll lay them on the counter to slightly defrost. Or will even cut the bag away.

Well, that’s it! I think that’s all you ever wanted to know about making broth. The why, the how, the how long, the ingredients. What have I missed? Is it too overwhelming? Just get started. Don’t worry so much about making the perfect broth the first few times. Figure out what tastes best for you, and work toward a good gel. I will NEVER buy store broth or stock ever again!

Oh, and for people who worry about recipes that call for chicken or beef broth or stock. Or even vegetable stock. I never worry. I use whatever I have in the freezer. I often times even replace wine in recipes with stock.

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/homemade-broth-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-to-be-an-expert/feed/2kellylellenz20121201_171426 (1)20121202_160415 (1)20121202_160657 (1)20121203_070043 (1)20121203_070348 (1)Buy Local: Blessed Nation Ranchhttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/buy-local-blessed-nation-ranch/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/buy-local-blessed-nation-ranch/#commentsSun, 21 Jul 2013 23:48:45 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2545Over the past few years, you’ve probably noticed my restaurant reviews go down and entries on the blog kind of slow as well. Well, friends, I guess it’s time to announce, the blog is changing. Not completely, I’ll still review restaurants when I hit up new ones, especially those I really enjoy. I have had some issues with new food intolerances coming up, and it’s making it really hard to eat out. It doesn’t mean I don’t still love delicious food. But, it means I’m trying to make nutrition more the center of my diet – using nutrition to heal and prevent. And a big part of that is finding local, well-raised, nutritious foods. And that means I’m adding a new section of things I’ll be reviewing: local farms, ranches, etc.

“She could be a farmer in those clothes!”

Our inaugural review goes to Blessed Nation Ranch. Blessed Nation Ranch is a 10 acre farm that features pasture-raised beef and pork, and free-range chickens and their eggs. They don’t regularly use antibiotics (sometimes antibiotics are necessary when a cow is sick, just like with humans – but antibiotics shouldn’t be used like humans use steroids – to grow unnaturally), and they don’t vaccinate. They also sell things like jelly and jam and I’m sure a variety of other things as it’s in season or available. Here’s a good story, written by Janelle, about how they got started on their ranch.

I can’t remember how I came across Blessed Nation Ranch initially. But I noticed they had good prices for purchasing part of a cow, and some good reviews. After I made my first purchase, Janelle asked me to write a review. I started to put something quick on their page, and mentioned it to my sister, and she made me realize, “Why don’t I start putting these types of reviews on my blog?!”

I originally contacted Blessed Nation Ranch to purchase half of a pig. Last year I purchased my first part of a cow (I did 1/8th of a cow plus bones and organ meats – yes, I’m an organ meat girl, I’ll write more about that another time, if anyone’s interested). Having part of a cow was so convenient. I always had pastured/grass-fed/grass-finished meat in my freezer. And when I first got grass-fed meat, I craved it. It tasted rich to me, almost like butter. But the meat wasn’t fatty. My sister said it didn’t taste any different to her, though. So I’m sure it was me or my brain or my body. Anyway, I ate beef in some form several meals a day for the first several week. I couldn’t get enough! My body must have been deficient in something because I felt great.

I’ve read some people who have gone paleo who eat and eat and eat protein the first few months or year of their transition. Then they suddenly start eating less and feel just as satisfied. Many people also conclude the body makes the transition and starts to better absorb nutrients. But until then craves it and needs it. No matter why, that’s exactly what happened for me, and I was a believer! I decided I’d love to fill my freezer with pastured meats raised humanely (or whatever the animal word for humane is). Not because I’m a member of PETA or even much of an animal’s rights activist. Rather, I believed animals raised with love, in lower stress environments and without all of the attempts to fatten them up with grains or antibiotics or other unnatural approaches, would produce healthier meat.

Long, rambling story short, back to the original reason I messaged Blessed Nation Ranch: to find out what my options were with a half a pig. Janelle sent me this picture of a pig. Admittedly, it was a little over my head. But, I also knew I wanted to try to cure my own bacon and brine my own ham, so I asked about that. She explained the meat is passed off to the butcher, and each customer walks through the processing. So you can process without curing hams or bacon. Or without paying to have them make sausage, if you so choose. Plus, then I can have them cut the shoulder into steaks for my St. Louis style BBQ steaks! I never knew life could get so customizable!

Pigs don’t go to the butcher until August, but I have put a deposit on a half pig, so I’ll review that then. I also purchased some ground beef ($3.50 per pound!). And my sister bought some soup bones ($1.15 per pound!). She also bought some blueberry jam (half pint for $4). I picked everything up on Friday.

Friday night my sister made beef broth (broth/stock recipe to come), and then made beef noodle soup with some of it. It. Was. So. Good! Mostly because she’s such a good cook, of course. But I’ve used commercial beef bones before, and I swear the bones of pastured cows produce better stock/broth. She used her soup bones, a few of my beef bones (bones I purchased with my part of the cow from another farm – so bones without meat), vegetables (celery, carrots, onions and garlic), salt, pepper, turmeric and apple cider vinegar (to pull more nutrients from the bones).

I put a pound of my hamburger in the fridge Friday night and used it to make ground beef and vegetables (a generic dish I make usually once a week – for some reason I like ground beef and veggies for breakfast), and it was delicious. I like how the meat has the flavor of fattier meats, but really doesn’t put off much fat. Like the best of both worlds!

And the jam.

Oh, the jam.

Kristy said it tastes like blueberry pie. I agree. And generally think it tastes like delicious. I am not ashamed to admit I’ve eaten some of it with a spoon. I like jam because it’s chunky, in a good way! At one point I stopped eating jelly because I was counting calories. Instead, if I craved jelly, I would mash up blueberries and/or strawberries in a bowl and spread it on peanut butter toast. Now I’m living on the theory that if it’s fresh, it’s healthier than something else sweet, like boxed cookies or whatever. So I’m back to eating fruit fairly liberally. And jam is one of them. When it comes to jam, especially good jam, I morph into Joey Tribbiani.

So, overall, Blessed Nation Ranch – you should check it out! I believe you can buy ground beef, roasts and steaks separately from buying a portion of a cow. They have eggs from free-range chickens. And jam so delicious you will want to hide it in the back of the fridge. And when available, they have good quality beef, pork and I believe chickens. All at affordable prices. And with delivery. Everybody wins! Well, mostly I just win. Because I live alone. And I don’t share food.

Have you bought from Blessed Nation Ranch? If so, tell us your experience! One place I like to go to find local farmers is Eat Wild. But there are lots of places you can find good farms. If you know a good site, post in the comments. If you know of a good farm or place to get fresh, local food, post in the comments.

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/buy-local-blessed-nation-ranch/feed/2kellylellenzScreenHunter_190 Jul. 21 17.10afterfocus_1374424276804_1Paleo Five Spice Garlic Chicken Wingshttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/paleo-five-spice-garlic-chicken-wings/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/paleo-five-spice-garlic-chicken-wings/#respondFri, 14 Jun 2013 16:23:54 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2502I’m not posting this recipe because it’s complicated, I’m posting it because it’s so dang simple. My sister makes wings and I always think, “Sheesh, way too much work for such little meat!” Even though she said it’s easy I don’t believe her because she makes intricate cakes and cupcakes and cookies and whatnot. Stuff I don’t have the patience for. I love food, but I hate messing stuff up. Plus, I was always intimidated by cutting up the wings. So unless they came pre-cut on sale, I never buy them.

That said, I’m working on the best recipe for smoked wings. I’m not there yet. But in the meantime, this is a good go-to. Again, like the St. Louis BBQ steaks, would be a perfect 4th of July food. Or once it cools off, a football or basketball game watching food. Basketball season, I miss you (NBA doesn’t count for me).

So, here it is. A super-simple recipe (along with a short video to show you how to cut wings if you never have).

Yum, right?

OK, first things first, this recipe was inspired by a recipe from Chris Kresser’s site. I liked the idea, and only added other spices to expand/enhance what Chris posted. I didn’t realize wings could be so simple. I know lots of places make naked wings now, and I guess this is essentially naked, not-fried, unbreaded wings. You can dress it up any way you like, with whatever spices you prefer!

The first thing you have to tackle is cutting up wings:

This video is three minutes long, but at the end she talks about seasoning the wings. All in all, probably about 2 minutes of your time. And allegedly, you save money (because pre-cut wings are more expensive). WIN!

Another area worth discussing is you’re supposed to rinse and pat dry your chicken. Can anyone tell me why you do this? Clearly rinsing chicken doesn’t do much for bacteria. It’s water. Maybe rinse and pat dry so the skin is dry for whatever you’re going to put on it? I know I rinse and pat my whole beer butt chickens before roasting, but I’m also not really sure why I do that. So, anyone with advice, chime in. I forgot to rinse and pat dry my wings, and I’m alive. Plus, they cooked in the oven until they were over 180 degrees. So I’m sure any weird bacteria I might have rinsed away had run for the hills by that point.

Then you cut your wings. I DID follow the advice on the video, and cut away some of the extra flaps of skin. I found some of my wings cut with almost no resistance (the trick was lining up the knife in the same direction as the little dumette, I found, although that wasn’t 100% accurate). Others took more resistance, but I cut through all of them. I cut off the tips and discarded.

Then I sprinkled with my seasoning. I used this recipe as a starting point. But I felt like maybe they’d still be a little bland. So I added some black pepper, garlic powder, and wish I would have added smoked paprika. In the recipe Chris references omitting the chili powder if you have an autoimmune disease. For those who are confused by this, peppers are a nightshade, and some people with autoimmune diseases react to them.

Chris’ recipe is also only for six wings. I didn’t count my wings. But I just sprinkled all of the seasonings liberally (salt maybe a bit less liberally) over one side of the wings. Then I dropped them all in a plastic bag and shook. Then I put them in the fridge for about four hours while my St. Louis BBQ steaks cooked. Chris says to leave overnight or up to 24 hours. I can see how this would be sort of like a dry rub brine, maybe. And maybe leaving would have affected my outcome and how I cooked. However, if you want to put them directly in the oven after shaking or wait a few hours or a day, I think it’s all fine.

I think I used about 3 times the Chinese five spice as chili powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder. So the five spice was the main spice. I shook that on to almost completely cover one side of the wings. Then I shook a light layer of the salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika (for those with a keen eye, I forgot the paprika this time around – paprika is also a nightshade for anyone keeping score).

Chris recommended cooking for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. I cooked for the first 40 minutes at 375 and realize the skin wasn’t crisping up, so I increased the temperature to 425. Next time I’ll cook them at 400 for the first 30 minutes, then turn the temp up to 425 for the last 10-20, or until the skin crisps. I checked the insides with my meat thermometer, and they were plenty done (nearing 185-190 degrees, but don’t worry, they weren’t dry).

So, here’s the official recipe:

Five Spice Garlic Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

Chicken wings, cut into wings and drumettes

Chinese five spice (enough to mostly-cover one side of the wings)

Chili powder (sprinkle lightly across all wings)

Garlic powder (sprinkle lightly across all wings, more liberally if you love garlic)

Smoked paprika (sprinkle lightly across all wings)

Salt (sprinkle lightly across all wings)

Pepper (sprinkle lightly across all wings)

*If you don’t like this “shake til covered” or “sprinkle lightly” description, you can also add the spices to a bowl and adjust until you like the taste.

Instructions:
Put the wings in a bag and shake to evenly distribute spices. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Increase temperature to 425, cook for another 10-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until skin crisps.

Enjoy!

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/06/14/paleo-five-spice-garlic-chicken-wings/feed/0kellylellenzafterfocus_1371220295156St. Louis BBQ Steakshttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/st-louis-bbq-steaks/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/st-louis-bbq-steaks/#commentsFri, 14 Jun 2013 03:14:01 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2472Normally I don’t waste my time posting a replicate or review of another site’s recipe. Partially because I generally change the recipe and then link to the origination of its former self. But also because, why reinvent the wheel? But, in this case, I think you fellow Wichitans should take advantage of pork shoulder steaks and make this happen. Soon. Maybe on the 4th of July? That’s when I plan to make it again!

So, what do we have? Well, we have a replica of Cook’s Kitchen’s recipe, with one clarification (it frustrates me when a cooking show that claims to be scientific misses the specifics), and one modification for my tastes. First, let’s get our salivary glands going with an unnecessarily close up shot of meat. Mmmmm. Meat.

Seriously, I am NOT a huge BBQ fan, and this is delicious. I don’t lie. Why would I?

So, where do we start? Well, I guess this type of BBQ is famous in St. Louis. I have never been to St. Louis. I know, blasphemy! But, I haven’t. And if I had, I probably wouldn’t have taken much time to eat BBQ anyway since I’m not a huge fan. But one lazy Saturday afternoon I was watching PBS (we used to watch PBS before church when I was a kid, so I was feeling nostalgic) and Cook’s Kitchen came on. I love America’s Test Kitchen because I feel like cooking is a science. Everyone’s tastes are different, and everyone has their preferences for how to do stuff, but perfecting certain things is a science. And the magic of cooking is also a science. And a little magic. And a lot of luck.

Anyway, they first made a recipe for St. Louis pizza, which I have made before. And I liked, even though I didn’t give myself much chance to perfect it. So when they started making St. Louis BBQ after, I thought, “Meh, probably not for me.” But I watched anyway, and got sucked in.

On the show they talked about how pork shoulder steaks are regional, and I thought, “Wichita is regional to St. Louis, right?” The process seemed easy and they were all things I’d done before: sear something on the grill? Check. Braise for a long time at a low temp? Check. Sear again? Double-check.

And when they braised the pork for several hours at (an unspecified) low temp, I was re-inspired by these paleo ribs I’ve made several times (I’ve never posted about these, but that’s because I’ve changed my recipe a little each time – but the base is solid, if you have never made ribs and are intimidated).

Plus, I have this smoker I bought last fall and have only used about five times.

All of the ingredients are coming together. I told myself if I could find precut pork shoulder steaks, I’d try it out!

And I did. Find the steaks that is. Yes, Wichita is indeed regional to St. Louis. Write that down somewhere in case anyone ever asks.

I lit my grill and then made the sauce. The only thing I changed was I used cheap light beer instead of Budweiser because that’s what I had in my fridge. Otherwise, I was probably spot on on the other ingredients (I was closer to 3 1/2 pounds of pork, however). I also crushed a few garlic cloves and added them to the sauce. For kicks. Because, well, garlic.

Then I peppered my steaks top and bottom and took them out to my scorching hot grill. I even went ahead and oiled my grill grates like instructed because I don’t do that often enough. I cooked the steaks on high for 5-7 minutes per side. Then brought them in the house and put them in a pan with the sauce. You can either cover a roasting pan with foil or use a disposable pan, depending on how your’e going to braise the steaks.

I have done it two ways (neither as suggested by the recipe). I smoked mine and I’ve done them in the oven. If you smoke, you probably want a disposable pan. If you braise in the oven, you can get away with a foil-covered roasting pan.

Either way, move your steaks to the braising pan, and try to lay them in one layer, and cover as best you can with sauce. Since I have more sauce per ounce of meat (since I had just a little over half the meat suggested), this was pretty easy. Mine easily fit in one layer. If they don’t, do the best you can, and you’ll have a chance to rotate meat later.

We have no arrived to the part of the post where I clarify the thing I was frustrated Cook’s Kitchen didn’t clarify. They said to turn your grill to low and cook on low for 90 minutes (or until steaks are tender and sauce thickens). However, after some mad googling, I couldn’t conclude what temperature a typical “low” grill comes to. In fact, I’m not even sure how to qualify low on my grill. I ended up somewhere between 200-250 degrees. And I figured I’d settle at 225 and give myself 2 hours of cooking.

This assuming crap is for the birds. I was making dinner for my sister’s family, including young children. And my meat was not done in 2 hours. Or even 2 1/2 hours (an hour over the projected time). At the 2 hour mark, I cranked the smoker up to 275. The meat was OK, but it could have cooked longer.

The second time I made this recipe I wasn’t feeling great and didn’t want to drag the smoker out. So I braised in the oven at 250. I set the timer for 3 1/2 hours. And ended up taking them out at the 3 hour, 15 minute mark. They were perfect.

So, for you people who like specifics: cook at 250 degrees for 3-3.25 hours.

I rotated my meat halfway through. I had one piece that was kind of layered on top of another piece, so I moved those around and flipped the meat over. If your meat’s covered, this probably isn’t even necessary. I had a hard time with telling whether the meat was done the first time (mostly because it wasn’t). but the second time, by the three hour mark, you could feel the meat starting to fall apart. You don’t want it to cook so much it falls off the bone because it’s hard to do the second sear, but you want it close to that point.

Then I remove them from the oven/smoker and go back to the grill for the final sear. Here’s the other small change I made: I took some sauce with me. I sauced one side of the steaks and put them sauce side down on the grill, and sauced the other side as it cooked. After two minutes, I flipped the steaks and very lightly sauced the cooked side. When I took the steaks off the grill, I lightly sauced the second cooked side.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce on the meat, but I REALLY liked the steaks with a final sear with the sauce. If you like the sauce, you might have to reduce it on the stove. Mine didn’t thicken as the recipe suggested it would. So, here’s the recipe. I have copied it exactly from Cook’s Country’s site, but I made my notes in red.

This recipe really is worth it. I smoked it with a mix of apple and cherry wood. I did let it smoke the entire time, but since you’re covering the top tightly, I’m not sure how much difference that makes. I realize you’re adding liquid smoke to the recipe to get the smoke flavor without the smoker, but I still like smoking I suppose you could take the foil off the top of the meat for the last 15 minutes or so, if your meat is covered. Either way, oven or smoker, this recipe’s delicious and worth the time. And it’s mostly just waiting. You dirty one bowl for the sauce. And I use one set of grill tongs for the first sear, for rotating the meat halfway through cooking, and the final sear. And a brush to brush on the sauce. If you use a disposable pan, you don’t even have to clean that!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups ketchup

2 cups beer (Budweiser suggested, but I used Bud Light one time and Miller Lite another)

HEAT GRILL Heat all burners on high, covered, for 15 minutes. (For charcoal grill, light about 100 coals. When covered with fine gray ash, spread evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat covered, with lid vent open halfway, for 5 minutes.) Scrape and oil cooking grate. (Use a paper towel and tongs. Dip the paper towel in oil, then rub across grates. Be careful because it will flame up. Good for seasoning the grates, especially since I just washed my grill at the start of the summer.)

SEAR AND SIMMER Season pork steaks with pepper and grill until well-browned, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to pan with sauce, cover with foil, and place pan on grill (or in smoker or oven). Turn all burners to low (set oven/smoker to 250 degrees) and cook, covered, until steaks are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 90 minutes (at 250 degrees, the braising takes at least 3 hours – grills must cook at a much higher temperature).

4. FINAL SEAR Using potholders, remove pan from grill and turn all burners to high. (For charcoal grill, light about 50 coals. When covered with fine gray ash, remove grill grate and scatter evenly over spent coals.) Remove steaks from pan (and brush one side with sauce, then place the steak, sauce side down, on grill) and grill until lightly charred around edges, 2 to 4 minutes per side. (While the steak is charring, brush sauce on the top side of the steak. And flip. Then you can continue to brush the original side, which is now face up, with sauce, if you’d like.) Skim fat from sauce and serve with steaks. (My sauce didn’t thicken, but you could reduce on the stovetop in a pan if you want a thicker sauce. Since I brushed a small amount of sauce on my steak, I didn’t need much or any sauce. The sauce is a bit spicy for children, but the steaks without the sauce seemed to be fine, even for small children.)

Steaks after the first sear. They almost feel like they’re cooked most of the way through at this point. I probably could have cooked them longer. I was mostly looking for grill marks.

Here they are, as much as I could get them under the sauce. This is from the time I cooked them in the oven. I was really pushing the volume limits of this roasting pan. In fact, there was some spill over in the oven because it was so full. I used a turkey roaster in the smoker, and there was plenty of room there. You’ll cover this tightly with foil for the braising.

Here they are, off the grill after the second sear (when I brushed them with sauce). I brushed them more heavily before the sear. And after each side was seared, just lightly brushed more sauce on them. You can also serve the extra sauce (there is plenty) on the side. I swear this meat reheats almost better than when you eat it fresh off the grill. I love it on salads, but one day this week I had this leftover meat and half a bag of baby carrots (with homemade ranch dressing). Hey, I didn’t claim to be classy all the time!

And for posterity’s sake, one more unnecessary closeup of the meat. We all like grill marks and meat magic, right?

]]>https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/st-louis-bbq-steaks/feed/3kellylellenzImageIMG_1143IMG_1144IMG_1145IMG_1146Meatloaf Muffins with Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflowerhttps://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/meatloaf-muffins-with-roasted-garlic-mashed-cauliflower/
https://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/meatloaf-muffins-with-roasted-garlic-mashed-cauliflower/#commentsWed, 10 Apr 2013 22:40:09 +0000http://stuffedandschwasted.wordpress.com/?p=2459I’m not a huge fan of meatloaf, but I actually like this version. Well, my version, adapted from this recipe. I adapted the recipe because, well, it’s what I do. But also a friend of mine made it and said it was “a little bland.” When someone else says something’s bland, I’m sure not to like it. I’m not a food snob or anything, but I’m one of those annoying people who eats for pleasure. And I firmly believe even healthy food should taste good. Is this the best thing I’ve ever made? Probably not. I’d far prefer my Mexican Hamburger with Kale, Spinach and Tomatoes over this. But for meatloaf, it’s good. In fact, many say the “bland” meatloaf in the original recipe is “fantastic.” And I think this is an improvement on that. Not just because I made it non-paleo with dairy (those two things could easily be left out). But because of the increased seasonings. Plus, I’ve eaten it for lunch for three straight days, and don’t hate it. Anyway, my point is, this is a fantastic starting point. Feel free to adjust to your taste buds.

The mashed cauliflower, however, I believe is gold. I love the stuff. Maybe more than mashed potatoes. No, seriously. I mix mine with a hand mixer, and it generally comes out somewhere between mashed potatoes and rice, which I love. I don’t do cheesy rice, but this stuff is rich enough it feels like a treat. So, if you want a meatloaf recipe, this one’s respectable and better ingredients than dumping ketchup on top (which grosses me out). But if you have your own meatloaf recipe, and are looking for a good side, try the cauliflower. So. Good!

Put the first six ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your hands. Mash the sweet potato with the 1 Tbs of butter listed. Add and mix very well. Add the eggs and slightly mix then add the almond powder and mix well. Add seasonings, cheese and sour cream for the final mix.

Spray two muffin pans, and separate out equally among all 24 tins.

Mix together all of the sauce ingredients and taste. It will be slightly sweet with a little kick. Adjust flavor until it’s acceptable. Spread sauce over meat in tins.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (test with meat thermometer).

When you remove, you’ll notice grease at the bottom of the tins. If you’ve used grass-fed beef, many people cherish this grease. If you’ve used conventional beef, it’s probably best to discard the grease. If you choose to keep it. You can pull the muffins out and drizzle the grease slowly over the muffins. Otherwise, simply discard as you pull out the muffins for storage.

Here’s a detailed description of how to roast garlic. Simply cut the tops off the garlic, and put in a pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover the pan with foil and cook at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Mine cooked for 25 minutes. You know it’s done when you stick a fork in a clove and it’s soft.

For the purpose of this dish, I scooped five cloves of garlic out of the roasted head and mixed it with softened butter and cream cheese. I only did this to ensure the garlic was distributed evenly among the garlic. The cloves of garlic will spread easily, almost like butter. So the mixing part is very easy. And may not even be necessary.

To cook the cauliflower: I chopped my cauliflower up into medium-sized to smallish pieces and put in boiling water. I boiled it until it was soft when I put a fork in it (similar to the softness of potatoes when you boil them for mashed potatoes). Then you drain the water off the cauliflower and make an effort to dry with paper towels or clean kitchen towels. It’s important to remove as much moisture as possible.

Add the garlic back to the pan. Add the garlic/butter/cream cheese and start to mix with a hand mixer, adding milk as you mix. I probably added about 1-2 Tbs of whole milk. This is where I add a small amount of Sriracha.

Mix to the consistency you like. I like mine a little lumpy, almost like rice. But you can mix until really creamy. Or even more lumpy than that.

Once you get the desired consistency, season with salt and black pepper. I also added a little smoked paprika for a smoky flavor.

Enjoy!

My pictures for this meal aren’t stellar. I apologize for that. But this gives you an idea of the center of the meatloaf. I think the veggies make it, honestly. I intended to add spinach, but forgot. And while one tiny sweet potato for 24 meatloaf muffins seems small, if I made these again, I’d be sure to add the sweet potato.